Harumafuji to be referred to prosecutors for assault

Harumafuji should take the high road here and resign from the sumo association without having to force them to fire him. His reputation is shot and it's a sad end to his career. He has his whole life ahead of him, I wish him the best.

I hope that Takanohana gets called out for his BS in all of this too!

I'm not so sure it is BS. Harumafuji has shown himself willing to do things the easy way in a number of his matches when he needed to win. His performance as a Grand Champion has been mediocre at best. The reports say Takanohana was being "counseled" by the other Mongolian wrestlers or was it bullying? There has been a lot of suspicious wins, matches, and "injuries" lately in MHO.

It happened at a drinking gathering among Mongolian wrestlers. Harumafuji did not think it would become such a big issue. Harumafuji did it to correct his fellow Mongolian wrestler Takanoiwa's bad attitude as a senior Mongolian wreslter though it went too far because of intoxication. Sources say Harumafuji and Takanoiwa are in good terms and often seen drinking together. Mongolian newspapers are reporting sympathetic to Harumafuji. I wonder Takanoiwa will show up in the ring again. Takanohana who used the incident politically should be expelled from the association.

Schopenhauer - I agree.

This matter is way, way over blown. It stiill happens often in many sports. And I don't condone that.

But if a real investigation was to be made into the "shock horror" of intimidation, bullying & violence in sport, the first port of call should be schools. Only 3 years ago I know of a case where a high-school boy in a baseball club was punched in the head 3 times by the coach and the result was to "not say anything to cause trouble."

This sumo case was Takanohana's chance of gaining uppance on the enemy and has a bad smell about it. As does the sudden appearance of the 2nd medical diagnosis of serious injury.

several of you are mentioning takanohana, but he's not mentioned in this article. care to explain?

takanohana could have talked to the stable master and left the thing out from the media circus but he decided to go ranting about how his wrestler was assaulted in the media before a complete investigation was conducted.. Considering the bad blood he has with Harumafuji's stable master he might have preempted the move which now tied his hand and left no room to wiggle out. Now he has an egg on his face because his wrestler seems to be a hot air and bragging about how he beats the yokuzunas and claiming that they are old and should be retiring which led to the altercation. Surprisingly, majority of Mongolians both in Japan and in Mongolia supports Harumafuji and does not wish for him to retire. They even think that Takanoiwa simply got what he desreved. And yes, Takanohana is not well liked in the sumo association even before this event.

seems like a cheap press stunt to blow some life into a fading sport.

Takanohana went to the police first as he well knows reporting it to the association is a complete waist of time. Remember he the wrestler required a stay at hospital. It was a serious assault by a senior, and none of the others intervened. I know it's the "culture" of sumo, but exposed to a wider audience it looks like what it is bullying, violent physical bullying.

The reports say Takanohana was being "counseled" by the other Mongolian wrestlers or was it bullying?

Now THIS I would pay money to see! Never going to happen, but damn it would be interesting!

(BTW you go the wrestlers name wrong)

Takanohana is not well liked in the sumo association even before this event.

He thinks he is sumo royalty, and he is still pissed off after not being elected to lead the association in the recent election. He is a self-centered plick, and cares only about how he looks. Consider that HE went to the police to file the report and not Takanoiwa. He also lied to the sumo association when they questioned him as well.

Harumafuji is going to end up paying for this, but he is not alone in who should pay!

Let's be realistic, this will all blow over and nothing will happen to this guy. Stop wasting our time and tax dollars.

I’ve seen several comments that repeat this but I wonder what is the basis?

The news broadcasts made that point, as he filed the report on I believe it was a Sunday and then was questioned by the Sumo association the following Thursday when he told them he knew nothing about the assault.

There were numerous news broadcasts that made that claim, however if what you say is so, and I believe it, then Takanoiwa went because Takanohana forced him to go file a report.

In a manner of speaking Takanohana is responsible for stirring up this pot, as the sumo association typically deals with incidents themselves, and only goes public when it leaks somewhere.

Takanohana should be expelled for being such a conniving ,scheming liar and also for getting his hair permed! Imagine,a youkozuna with permed hair!!